July 24, 2014

Pakistan: Polio case reported after two-and-a-half years in Balochistan

QUETTA: A fresh case of polio was found in Balochistan's Killa Abdullah district on Thursday after a period of two-and-a-half years.

According to United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) sources, the crippling virus was found in a 18-month-old girl in union council Maizai area of district Killa Abdullah.

"Doctors have confirmed [the] polio virus", the sources said. The latest case of polio virus was reported after two-and-a-half years in Balochistan.

"The girl's family had lived in Karachi for four years", Unicef sources said, adding that the family had arrived in Balochistan's Killa Abdullah district this year. With the emergence of the new case, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan this year has reached to 102.

Recovery of polio virus in Quetta during June this year prompted the Balochistan government to launch an emergency anti polio campaign in polio-risk districts.

In 2011, 22 polio cases were reported from Killa Abdullah out of total 73 from all-over Balochistan. "That was [the] worst year for Balochistan", Rehmat Baloch, provincial health minister, told Dawn.

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QUETTA: A fresh case of polio was found in Balochistan's Killa Abdullah district on Thursday after a period of two-and-a-half years.

According to United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) sources, the crippling virus was found in a 18-month-old girl in union council Maizai area of district Killa Abdullah.

"Doctors have confirmed [the] polio virus", the sources said. The latest case of polio virus was reported after two-and-a-half years in Balochistan.

"The girl's family had lived in Karachi for four years", Unicef sources said, adding that the family had arrived in Balochistan's Killa Abdullah district this year. With the emergence of the new case, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan this year has reached to 102.

Recovery of polio virus in Quetta during June this year prompted the Balochistan government to launch an emergency anti polio campaign in polio-risk districts.

In 2011, 22 polio cases were reported from Killa Abdullah out of total 73 from all-over Balochistan. "That was [the] worst year for Balochistan", Rehmat Baloch, provincial health minister, told Dawn.